A Man's Heart - 1/3
Title: A Man's Heart 1/3
Author: Scorch
Email: Miss_Incognito4@live.co.uk
Rating: NC-17
Category: SMUT!
Disclaimer: I own nixies
Distribution: Anyplace!
Notes: Inspired by the words Mountain Man in 'Sleep' by Nika Dixon. Grab a cuppa and enjoy!
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The snow seemed whiter than last night. Whiter and a hell of lot thicker, coating everything and making evergreens look anything but green. Still, it was gorgeous and out of each paradise spot on Earth, he couldn't think of a better one than this.
Oliver leaned on the axe and took a moment to look around, seeing nothing but snow and trees and hell if it wasn't a dream. Total geographic isolation had been the plan and they'd gotten it in spades.
No people for quite literally miles, no traffic, computers cleverly disguised as cellphones and most importantly, no Lois and Clark. Their last attempt at a weekend away ended up more entertaining than a Springer show.
Not that particular incident mattered at the moment, because it really didn't.
All that mattered was the peace and quiet, something both Chloe and himself sorely needed. Just the two of them, in a cabin by a frozen lake, with nothing whatsoever to do and hell if it wasn't perfect.
God, it'd been so long since he'd relaxed and longer for her. He knew the toll fighting took, but that was physical and physical scars healed, but Chloe...
Oliver sighed and picked up the axe, ready to chop more wood.
Chloe did the leg work, the brain work and not just for him, but for all of them. That kind of toll he had no clue about and if he was honest, he wouldn't want to know. There wasn't only that for her. She'd also had to put up with being accused of betrayal by her longest, dearest friend.
He figured it wasn't her first name tag and knew it wouldn't be her last, at least not from Clark. The next time, Oliver vowed, the next time Clark tried pinning that one on her, he'd open a nice can of whoop ass
Complete with Kryptonite worms if it came to that..
As if the hustle and bustle of their nightlife wasn't enough, they'd made the dumbass decision to move in together. He was going to love living with Chloe, he knew that, but if he saw one more freaking box...
"I hate boxes," Oliver brought the axe down, the lethal blade sliced the wood in two, the motion forcing breath from his lungs. If he could just click his fingers and have it all done, that'd be great. He smirked, wondering how many other people felt the same.
A quiet laugh escaped as he remembered Chloe saying that very thing when she first moved into the Tower. Even though it was perfect for her, she still had to shift box upon box of belongings, then unpack the necessities, get the heating and electric switched on.
She had to do it all while trying to find time to sleep.
He brought the axe down again and again, pretending he was smashing boxes and not logs.
Take that and that and that and that, he thought, feeling a small victory over his nemesis. He wanted to hire people to do it, but would she have it? No.
"They won't know where to put everything, Ollie," Oliver mimicked and again, brought the axe down one final time. Man, he was gonna be aching like a bitch in the morning.
Hell, he was aching now.
His own fault, he supposed. Yes, he went out night after night and yes, he worked out constantly, but manual labor was a different thing altogether. Manual labor worked the whole body at once where gym machines worked one specific part and yes, Oliver was feeling it.
He set the axe down and glanced around, checking for anyone or anything. A clear coast.
Good.
He curled up his right arm and squeezed the bicep once or twice. "Not bad, Queen. Not bad at all."
If he got lucky, Chloe would be squeezing it later.
Or another muscle entirely, he thought and rubbed his hands together. Heh heh heh.
Oliver sighed.
The manly task of wood chopping was done and now all he had to do was make his way through a zillion feet of snow to get the logs inside. Preferably before he froze to death.
He gathered up as much as he could and began the trudge to where the little woman was waiting, hopefully with a hot cup of java and warm hug. He knew the guys would rib him forever if they knew his favourite thing was a hug, but what the hell ever.
Chloe Sullivan gave the best hugs and he just loved going home, grabbing her and holding her. She was so small that his arms literally overlapped and yeah, maybe it was a fetish of his, but there was something kinky about it.
At least in his mind.
A couple of snow flakes fluttering past his eyes made Oliver realise that he'd finished in the nick of time. He reached the door and...
Damn!
Armfull of logs meant he couldn't open or knock on the door, so he did the only thing he could and kicked it.
*~*~*
Chloe had just finished pouring the cocoa into the mugs when she heard Oliver's heavy boots thud-thud-thudding against the wooden steps. There was something nice about this vacation, something more than the time alone and beautiful scenery.
While he was out playing Mountain Man, she was keeping house, and she found it... Satisfying.
Back in Metropolis, they both worked their collective asses off for the greater good of mankind. They lived off of take-out or went to a restaurant or...
Chloe sighed.
Metropolis was convienience personified and it was just easier, but in a place where the nearest store was a mile and a half away, take-out and restaurants weren't ever gonna happen. They'd gotten a few days' worth of groceries and while she cooked, he went out and got what they needed.
Though she wouldn't do it herself, she could see the attraction of being a housewife. The man provides one way and the woman another. Knowing she was taking care of her man was satisfying and almost, almost, felt like a family.
An odd sort of knocking shook her out of her little daze.
"Chloe?" His voice was loud and clear and well, she just couldn't help herself.
"Whatever it is, I'm not buying." She hollered back and casually sipped her cocoa.
"Than... What?"
Chloe's grin rivaled Texas in size. "I told you," she yet again hollered. "I'm not buying, so you can stop wasting your breath."
She was so going to hell.
"C'mon, I got logs for heat. Heat, Chloe. Heat!"
"I have heat. Don't need to buy, so... Bye!"
"Chloe!"
"That's me."
"I mean it. Let me in!"
Poor thing. He sounded so desperate and cold. She really should let him in, but...
Nah!
It was too much fun hearing him beg.
"I'll go to the papers with the story about the lube."
Chloe's eyes widened as she choked on her cocoa. He wouldn't dare make that public knowledge...
Right?
Just in case, "That says more about you than it does about me."
"No sex!"
"Oh, please!"
"For a week."
She had to laugh. "Ha!"
Then her laughter came to a gradual halt when she heard silence from outside. He wouldn't really not have sex for a week, right?
Before she could ask, "A sponge bath in the hot tub."
Chloe paused and bit her lip. A sponge bath from Ollie? In the hot tub? The only thing restraining the urge to throw the door open was the devil on her shoulder.
"Will I have to buy?"
The impatience in his voice was loud and clear. "No, you won't have to buy."
"Then I'm listening."
"You expect me to ellaborate when I'm being crushed to death?!"
"Yep!"
"Wanna play hardball, do you? I'll sing, Chloe. I swear it."
That got her attention. "You wouldn't..."
"I know a song that will get on your nerves, get on your nerves, get on your...!"
"Alright!" Chloe yelled and hastily put her cocoa down. "I'll let you in, just please, for the sake of my ears, stop!"
She hurried to the door and when she opened it, guilt crept out of nowhere and bit her on the ass.
Their banter had lasted less than five minutes, but it had been long enough for him to get covered in snow.
Her eyes went from his white hair to the snow on the tip of his reddened nose, down past the logs to the hiking boots on his feet. Chloe blinked and her gaze travelled back up, taking in bits she missed. Bits like his flushed cheeks and slightly frozen lips and ears.
Oliver didn't look the least bit impressed. "It's snowing."
"So I see," and she really did see. Chloe never knew snow could fall like rain, but there it was.
"I'm cold."
She offered him a sheepish smile of apology. "I made cocoa while you were out. It's piping hot and comes extra milky."
"That sounds great, Tower," he stated through chattering teeth. "But can I come in first?"